MDP version 2.0 has been released! What is it? ----------- Modular toolkit for Data Processing (MDP) is a data processing framework written in Python. From the user's perspective, MDP consists of a collection of trainable supervised and unsupervised algorithms that can be combined into data processing flows. The base of readily available algorithms includes Principal Component Analysis, two flavors of Independent Component Analysis, Slow Feature Analysis, Gaussian Classifiers, Growing Neural Gas, Fisher Discriminant Analysis, and Factor Analysis. From the developer's perspective, MDP is a framework to make the implementation of new algorithms easier. MDP takes care of tedious tasks like numerical type and dimensionality checking, leaving the developer free to concentrate on the implementation of the training and execution phases. The new elements then automatically integrate with the rest of the library. As its user base is increasing, MDP might be a good candidate for becoming a common repository of user-supplied, freely available, Python implemented data processing algorithms. Resources --------- Download: http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=116959 Homepage: http://mdp-toolkit.sourceforge.net Mailing list: http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=116959 What's new in version 2.0? -------------------------- MDP 2.0 introduces some important structural changes. It is now possible to implement nodes with multiple training phases and even nodes with an undetermined number of phases. This allows for example the implementation of algorithms that need to collect some statistics on the whole input before proceeding with the actual training, or others that need to iterate over a training phase until a convergence criterion is satisfied. The ability to train each phase using chunks of input data is maintained if the chunks are generated with iterators. Nodes that require supervised training can be defined in a very straightforward way by passing additional arguments (e.g., labels or a target output) to the 'train' method. New algorithms have been added, expanding the base of readily available basic data processing elements. MDP is now based exclusively on the NumPy Python numerical extension. -- Tiziano Zito Institute for Theoretical Biology Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin Invalidenstrasse, 43 D-10115 Berlin, Germany Pietro Berkes Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit Alexandra House, 17 Queen Square London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom